"A Comprehensive Study of Speech and Swallowing Function For Adults with Down Syndrome"
Krista Wilkinson - Distinguished Professor, CSD
Carol Miller - Professor, CSD
Ji Min Lee - Associate Professor, CSD
Chaleece Sandberg - Associate Professor, CSD
Anne Olmstead - Assistant Professor, CSD
Individuals with Down syndrome are at high risk for choking, which can lead to serious complications. As many as 95 percent of individuals with Down syndrome have difficulty making their speech understood to unfamiliar partners. Current interventions for swallowing and speech therapy were largely developed for individuals who do not have Down syndrome. However, these approaches may not work well, because individuals with Down syndrome may have specific characteristics related to their facial and neck structure, and differences in perception and somatosensation, as well as language and cognitive abilities. Our team aims to understand how all of these domains are interrelated in adults with Down syndrome. We will present an overview of the planned research and some intriguing preliminary results.